RH Jones to Speaker Husted: Divestiture unconstitutional, singles out elderly pensioned retirees

From RH Jones, August 22, 2007
Subject: My letter to GOP House Speaker, Jon Husted

To all:
While Rep. Husted plays aggressive, hardnosed, and no holds barred hardball with Ohio’s Pension Systems, the public education friendly politicians are quietly playing softball. I hope that they take note, as they read the letter that I sent in longhand to GOP Rep. Husted, and a CC to GOP Kevin Coughlin of Summit County. For ease of reading, I send it to you typewritten. The letter:

08/20/07
The Honorable Jon Husted
148 Sherbrooke Dr.
Kettering, Ohio 45429

Dear Representative Husted:
I write to you in longhand with 76-year-old arthritic hands. My message to you is that: Ohio Statehouse Legislation has been clouded with irrelevant, religious and misguided patriotism. This has to end. The only relevant values are obedience to our national and state constitutions. To do anything else will only get us a Hitler, a Stalin, a Mussolini, a Tojo, a Mao a Pol Pot, a Chavez, on, and on, and on!

Further, I feel that divestiture is unconstitutional and singles out the elderly pensioned retirees. My STRS OH should not have to decide on National Foreign Policy decisions. That should be left up to the National Executive Branch, the Senate and the Legislative Branches of our Federal Government.

My STRS OH CEO, Damon Asbury, acted with questionable authority when he signed the voluntary Iran/Sudan divestitures. Retired teachers cannot afford to be “scapegoats” in the battle for divestiture. After all, we taught the public to read, did we not? -- Especially the U.S. of A. Constitution!

Sincerely,

Robert Hudson Jones, STRS OH annuitant member

CC: Kevin Coughlin (R-Summit County)